what metal could this be?

dear all

i don't think this is silver but can "tarnish". there is no mark. i think they could have been made post-WWII. the pieces were washed in soapy water but still looked dull (e.g. left pin) after the wash. so i applied autosol to one of the pieces (right pin). it polished really easily, as in no effort needed, and is shiny like chrome? is it chrome or something else?

regards
phaik hooi

 

Looks like silver. Maybe tin. Definitely not chrome.

 

Cupronickel?

 

nickel polishes up shiny as chrome. May be nickle plated

 

not magnetic and not light but not heavy either.
how do i know if it is nickel-plated or cupronickel .... or are they the same thing?

 

Nickel doesn't really tarnish. A copper nickel might. Tarnished copper nickel often has the stinky brass smell.

I think you're going to need acid to test for silver.

 

don't know what brass smells like, unfortunately

okie dokie.

 

I don't know if you want to buy a test kit, though. I think it is easier to go to a jeweler who can test it.
But if you want to acid test them for silver content yourself, it is best to rub the bottom of a pin on a testing stone, and put the liquid on the mark on the testing stone. Never put the acid directly on the metal.

Phaik, even if you're not sure of the material, you can post something like this in the jewellery forum, where people have experience in dealing with delicate pieces of different kinds of metals. Hair jewellery is also jewellery. These are pretty hairpins.